Monday, October 24, 2016

"There is not a son of Adam except that he has wisdom in his head that is in the hand of an Angel. So, if he becomes humble, it is said to the Angel: 'Raise his wisdom,' and if he becomes arrogant, it is said to the Angel: 'Throw away his wisdom.'

Friday, October 7, 2016

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was asked, ‘Which people are the best?’ He said, ‘Those with pure hearts and truthful tongues’. They said, ‘We know the meaning of truthful tongues, but what is pure hearts?’ Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) replied, ‘[It is that heart which is] having Taqwa (conscious of Allah), clean, sinless, and has no injustice nor envy or jealousy/malice’

Friday, September 30, 2016

::: THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTROLLING ONE'S ANGER AND THE GREAT REWARD THEREIN :::

(1) The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Whoever controls his anger, Allah will protect him from his punishment.”

[Ibn Abi Dunya, #21 and Iraaqi said it is Hassan in Al Mughni #2862 and Ibn Hajar agreed in Matalibul Aaliyah #3144]

(2) The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Whoever suppresses his rage while able to unleash it, Allah will call him before the heads of creation on Qiyamah and inform that he can choose any of the Hoorul Ayn that he likes" [Tirmidhi #2021 and Hassan] & another version says, "..then Allah will fill his heart with contentment on the day of judgment." [Tabarani, 12/453 and Sahih according to Sahih al Jami’, #6518]

Al Mubarakfuri said that this applies to the one who can enact an action of anger and Ali al Qari commented, "If this is the reward for merely suppressing one's rage, then what about the one who joins that with pardoning his offender and adds ihsan towards him?" [Tuhfatul Ahwadhi]

(3) The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asked what deed can distance one from the anger of Allah and he replied, "Do not become angry."

[Musnad Ahmad, 2/175 & Sahih according to Ibn Hibban in Al Ihsan]

In another narration of Tirmidhi [Majma' al Zawa'id, 8/70], Abu Darda' asked, "Oh Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, show me an action that will enter me into Jannah" and he said, "Do not become angry and Jannah is yours."

* A man asked Ibnul Mubarak to summarise all of good character into one phrase and he replied, "Give up anger" (Jami' ulum wal Hikm, 234) & Imam Ahmad, Ishaq bin Rahawayh and others explained that good character is in controlling ones anger.

Ata' Ibn Abi Rabah said, "Nothing makes the people of knowledge weep at the end of their lives more than a fit of anger which ruins their work of 50, 60 or 70 years..." (Narrated in the Mawsu'at of Ibn Abi Dunya)

* Ibn Rajab al Hanbali explained "not getting angry" to be: "...It means that you should not act in accordance with your anger and instead struggle with yourself to give up putting it into effect and acting by what it commands." (Jami' ulum wal Hikm, 234)

* What should one do when he is angry to attain these rewards? Follow these steps in order:

[1] Respond to the one making you angry with good: As Ali al Qari explained, the reward is far greater when one responds with good. Hasan al Basri would make du'a ffor those people behaving ill towards him so much that his companions would say to him, "Oh Hasan, I wish to oppress you just so you make the same du'a for me as you do for those who oppress you."

[2] If you cannot do that, then seek refuge from Shaytan and make Wudoo' without acting upon your anger as many authentic ahadith tell us.

[3] If you cannot do the second option, then do not speak or act upon your anger: A marfu' narration from Ibn Abbas states, "When you become angry, say nothing" (Musnad Ahmad, 1/239) and Ibn Rajab said about this, "This is a great remedy for anger because words he utters in anger he will regret but if he is silent, all of it will pass him. Al Ijlee said, "I have never filled up right and spoken in anger that which i will later regret. This shows that the angry person is charged with the responsibility of being silent and not speaking." (Jamiulum wal Hikm, 237 - 242)

Friday, September 16, 2016

“Whoever is tested with self-admiration, let him think of his faults; if he admires his virtues, let him think of his bad manners and attitude. If he cannot find any, to the point that he thinks that he has no faults, then he should realise that his problem is chronic and that he is the most imperfect of men, and he has the most faults and least discernment.

That is because he is feeble-minded and ignorant; and there is no fault worse than these two, because the wise man is the one who can see faults in himself and tries to overcome them, whereas the foolish man is the one who is ignorant of his own faults.”

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

633. ‘A’isha reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah is kind and loves kindness in every matter.” [Agreed upon]

634. ‘A’isha reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah is kind and loves kindness and gives for gentleness what he does not give for harshness nor for anything else.” [Muslim]

635. ‘A’isha reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Whenever kindness is in a thing it adorns it, and whenever it is removed from anything, it disfigures it.” [Muslim]

636. Abu Hurayra said, “A bedouin urinated in the mosque. The people moved towards him and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Let him be and pour a bucket or pail of water onto his urine. You were sent to make things easy and not to make them difficult.’” [al-Bukhari]

637. Anas reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Make things easy for people and do not make them difficult. Give good news to people and do not frighten them away.” [Agreed upon]

638. Jarir ibn ‘Abdullah said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘Whoever is deprived of kindness is deprived of all good.’” [Muslim]

Saturday, June 18, 2016

“Shaykh Al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyyah), God be pleased with him, said to me, when I presented to him one objection (îrâd) after another,

‘Do not make your heart like a sponge for objections and doubts, such that it cannot ripen but with them, but rather like polished glass, so doubts may pass over its surface but do not stay within: its purity makes you see them, and its firmness allows you to repel them’.

Or something to this effect. I do not know of any other advice that has helped me repel doubts like this one”.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Eight Prophetic Objectives of Fasting

Behind every Prophetic Sunnah there are noble spiritual maqāsid (aims and objectives) to obtain beyond merely performing the physical act itself. In-sha-Allah, this article will assist in directing your attention towards the noble spiritual objectives of fasting. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Verily actions are in accordance to intention(s).” (Bukhari 1, Muslim 1907) In other words, a person will obtain the merit of his action in accordance to what he intends from his it. Therefore, it is important that we learn the Prophetic Objectives behind fasting so that our actions and intentions are in accordance to the spirit of Prophet Guidance.

The eight Prophet Objectives mentioned in this article are as follows: elevation in spiritual degree, expiation of sins, suppression of carnal desires, increasing in charity, increasing in worship, gratitude for Allah (The Knower of Hidden Affairs), prevention from the danger of sin and acting in contradiction to what is lawful, and feeding others who are fasting.

This article is generally a translation of an excerpt taken from the book, Maqāsid Al-Sawm, by the great Shafi Imam, Ibn Abdus Salam (660 AH), famously known as Sultan of The Scholars—may Allah bless him. Also, there are a few additions of Hadith which I have added to support the topic.

1. Elevation In Spiritual Degree

(1) The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

When the month of Ramadan arrives, the gates of Paradise are opened, and the gates of Hellfire are closed, and the shaytans are shackled. (Bukhari 1899, Muslim 1709)

The opening of the gates of Paradise is in reference to the abundance of worship, which necessitates the opening of the gates of Paradise.

The closing of the gates of Hellfire is in reference to the small amount of sins, which necessitates the closing of the gates of the Fire.

The shackling of shaytans is in reference to the blockage of their whispers from those who are fasting because theshaytans have no hope that those fasting will respond to sin.

(2) It is also reported in a Hadith Al-Qudsi that he ﷺ said:

Every action of Bani Adam (mankind) is for himself, except fasting. Verily it is for Me; I will reward him for it. Fasting is a shield, therefore, when any of you are fasting, he should not engage in rafath (obscene language), nor sakhab(raise his voice in dispute). If a person happens to curse or fight him, then he should say, “verily I am a person fasting!” By the one whose grasp holds the soul of Muhammad, the smell of the stomach/mouth of a fasting person is more beloved to Allah on the Day of Judgement than the scent of musk. The fasting person enjoys two spirits of joy: when he completes his fast and when he meets his Lord. (Bukhari 1904, Muslim 1151)

As for Allah’s statement, “Every action of Bani Adam (mankind) is for himself except fasting for verily it is for Me; I will reward him for it”, the attribution of reward to Allah is an expression of honour, because in fasting there is no riyā(doing something for the sake of people) since the action is hidden. Moreover, hunger and thirst are not a means of worshiping any king on earth or any idol and thus, this action is for Allah alone.

As for His statement, “I will reward him”, even though that is the case with all acts of worship, the meaning here is to indicate the magnitude of reward by stating that He himself will handle the affair of granting His favour.

As for sakhab, it refers to disputing.

As for His statement, “fasting is a shield” it is in reference to fasting being a protection from Allah’s punishment.

As for rafath, it refers to obscene language.

As for His statement, “he should say verily I am fasting” it is in reference to reminding himself of fasting.

As for his statement, “the smell of the stomach/mouth of a fasting person is more beloved to Allah on the Day of Judgement than the scent of musk”, this means the reward of a smelling stomach/mouth of a fasting person is more beloved to Allah on the Day of Judgement than the scent of musk.

As for the two spirits of joy, the first is due to being granted tawfīq (Allah’s providence) to complete an act of worship. The second is due to being granted Allah’s reward.

(3) It is also reported that he ﷺ said:

Every action of Bani Adam (mankind) is multiplied; good deeds are multiplied between ten to seven-hundred. Allah states, “except fasting for verily I will reward him [because] he abandons his shahwa (carnal desires) and food for me.” (Sahih Muslim 1151)

His statement, “he abandons his shahwa (carnal desires) and food for me” means that since the fasting person has chosen to worship his Lord rather than obey his nafs (self-desires)–in spite of the strong impulsive nature of shahwa–Allah has rewarded him personally Himself. Whoever has a strong intention to commit a sin but abandons it out of fear of Allah, verily Allah says to theHafadha (the angels that record deeds), “Write for him a reward because he abandoned his shahwa because of Me.” (Bukhari 7501, Muslim 128)

(4) The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Verily in Jannah there is a gate called Al-Rayyān, the People of Fasting will enter it on the Day of Judgement. No person shall enter it besides them. It will be announced, “where are the People of Fasting?” and they will enter through it. When the last of them enters, the gate will be locked and no person shall enter it thereafter. (Bukhari1896, Muslim 1152)

(5) The same narration is reported with slightly different wording:

Verily in Paradise there is a gate calledAl-Rayyān, the People of Fasting will be called to it. Whoever is from the People of Fasting will enter it. Whoever enters it, will never thirst again.(Nasāi 4/168, Tirmidhi 765, Ibn Majah 1640)

As for their special honour of entering Jannah through the gates of al-Rayyān, they have been chosen specifically because of their degree of fasting.

(6) The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Verily the person who is fasting, the Angels supplicate for him when a person eats in front of him until he finishes.(Tirmidhi 785, Ibn Majah 1748)

As for the supplication of the Angels when a person is eating in front of him, that is because he overwhelmingly suppressed his nafs to abandon food that was present before him. Thus, this was a compelling cause for their supplications (that is, their supplications of mercy and forgiveness for him).

2. Expiation of Sins

(7) This is based on the statement of the Prophet ﷺ:

Ramadan to Ramadan is an expiation of sins occurring between them, if that person abandons major sins. (Muslim 233)

(8) In another Hadith the Prophet ﷺ stated:

Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan, with faith and anticipation of reward, his previous sins are forgiven.

Meaning, whoever has faith in it being obligatory and anticipates his reward from his Lord, his previous sins are forgiven.

3. Suppression of Carnal Desires

(9) Hunger and thirst suppress the desire to commit sin. This is understood from the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ:

Oh young folk! Whoever amongst you has the means for al-bā’ah (dowry for marriage) then marry because it is most enforcing in lowering the gaze and most safeguarding of his chastity. Whoever does not have the means, then he should fast because it is a wijā.(Bukhari 1905, Muslim 1400)

The word al-bā’ah refers to the dowry for marriage.

The word wijālinguistically refers to the castration of a stud animal. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ referred to the suppression of carnal desires metaphorically in relation to castration because it removes desires. Therefore, what is meant by fasting being a wijā is that it suppresses the carnal desires.

(10) It is also reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Verily Shaytan flows through Bani Adam like the flowing of blood. Thus, narrow the means of desire with hunger.(Bukhari 2039, Muslim 2175)

4. Increasing in Charity

(11) Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the utmost generous person in khair (bringing goodness and benefit to people). He was the utmost generous during the month of Ramadan…(Bukhari 1902, Muslim 2308)

(12) It has been reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

The best charity is charity [given] in Ramadan. (Tirmidhi 668, Shu’ub Al-Iman 3819)

5. Increasing in Worship

This is because when he is reminded about the hunger and thirst of people in the Hellfire, it encourages him to increase in worship in order to save himself from the fire.

6. Gratitude for Allah, The Knower of Hidden Affairs

When a person fasts, he becomes aware of Allah’s bounties upon him regarding satiation and quenching. Thus, he shows gratitude. The value of bounty is not realized until it is gone.

(13) It has been reported from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he said:

My lord presented to me the opportunity that He make the valley of Makkah gold for me. I replied, “O my Lord! But I [wish] to be satiated one day and hungry the next…When I am hungry, I humble myself before you and thank you. When I become satiated, I give thanks to you and praise you.(Tirmidhi 2378)

7. Prevention From the Danger of Sin and Acting in Contradiction to What is Lawful

That is because the nafs, when it is satiated, has an appetite for sin and yearns for things which contradict what is lawful. However, when it is hungry and thirsty it has an appetite for food and drink. The nafsturning its attention towards the thought of food and being occupied with that, is better than having an appetite for sin and wrong action. For this reason, some of the Salaf (righteous predecessors) preferred fasting over all other forms of worship. When they were asked why, they replied:

For Allah to see my soul pulling me towards food and drink is more beloved to me than Him seeing my soul when it is pulling me towards sin when it is satiated.

8. Feeding Others Who Are Fasting

(14) From the noble objectives of fasting is feeding other people who are breaking their fast. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stated:

Whoever feeds a person who is breaking his fast, he gets the same reward as him without any subtraction from the reward of the fasting person. (Tirmidhi 807, Ibn Majah 1746)

Therefore, whoever feeds thirty-six people (who are breaking their fast) every year, it is as if he fasts an entire lifetime. Fasting also has many other benefits, such as, assisting in a healthy mind and body. It has been reported in a Hadith that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Fast and you will be healthy.” (Al-Mu’jam Al-Awsat 8312, Al-Tibb Al-Nabawi by Abu Nu’aim 113)

May Allah make us from those who fast in accordance to Prophetic Guidance, in order to please Him and obtain the highest of rewards and closeness to Him, Ameen.

Here I have added these two Hadith (which Ibn Abdus Salam did not mention in his book) because they explicitly mention the virtue of increasing in charity during Ramadan. Under this section Ibn Abdus Salam mentioned the following: This is because the fasting person, when hungry, he is reminded of what it feels like and this encourages him to feed the hungry. It is said in poetry, “ Verily those who have mercy upon those affected by deep love are those who are affected by love.” It has been reported that Prophet Sulaiman (or Prophet Yusuf, may Allah’s peace and blessing be upon them both) never used to eat until all of his devotees ate. When he was asked why, he replied, “I fear that if I fill my stomach, I will forget the hungry.”

This Hadith is not part of Ibn Abdul Salam’s book. I added it because it is a clear example of Prophetic Gratitude, which fits in perfectly with the subject here. Allah knows best.

Here, Allah says about the purest and most pious people who have attained 'Nafs e mutmainnah' (the contented soul) that they will ﬁrst be asked to enter the fold of righteous slaves, and then to enter the Paradise.

This indicates that entry into Paradise depends on their being, ﬁrst and foremost, in the fold of the righteous believers. Then they will all enter Paradise together.

This also shows that a person joining the company of the righteous in this world is a sign that he will enter Paradise with them.

Even the prophets of Allah prayed to be joined with the righteous:

The Prophet Sulaiman عليه سلم prayed:

وَأَدْخِلْنِي بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِي عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ

"..and admit me, by Your mercy, among Your righteous slaves." [27:19]

The Prophet Yusuf عليه سلم prayed:

تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ

"Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the Righteous." (12:101)

Allah has taught us to pray that even the death comes among the righteous:

"Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling to faith, [saying], 'Believe in your Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord, so forgive us our sins and remove from us our misdeeds and cause us to die with the righteous."

Saturday, May 7, 2016

The effect which Islam exerted on the education of its followers in the first period of Islam by the purification of their souls, polishing of their minds, the sincerity of their beliefs and actions and sincere love and well wishing for the mankind ensured that their participation in the military campaigns against other lands was not primarily motivated by any worldly ambition.

Rather, it was the compelling desire to propagate Islam, to enable it to take firm root in these lands and to organize and administer the newly-conquered territories.

It was the wish to solve the various problems of these lands, and any new problems which might arise, in accordance with the true teachings of Islam.

The Muslims were not motivated by any desire to dominate those peoples or to acquire their wealth, nor were they attempting to escape from the hardship of life in the desert, as has been maintained by the Orientalists.

Al Tabari narrated that just before the start of the important battle of Qadisiyya, Rabi` ibn `Amir رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه entered the court of Rustum, the Persian commander, who asked him: “What brought you here?”

Rabi` رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه said: “God sent us, and He brought us here in order to lead whom He wills from the worship of man to the worship of God alone; from the narrowness and oppression of this world to the vastness and abundance of the hereafter; and from the injustice of other religions to the justice of Islam.”

What Rabi` ibn `Amir, رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه the representative of the Muslims, said to the Persians was not only the expression of his personal feelings. Rather, it voiced the thought which was predominant among the Muslim leadership and most of the Mujahidin.

This does not exclude the possibility that some of the Bedouin who had participated in the military expeditions had been attracted by the prospects of material gains and booty, in addition to the desire for jihad; but these Bedouin did not represent either the leadership of the movement or its motivating spirit and were only a small minority in the Muslim armies.

Adapted from 'Madinan Society at the Time of the Prophet' by Dr Akram umari

Saturday, April 30, 2016

"Shall I not tell you of something by which Allah erases sins and elevates ranks?"

They (the sahabah) said, 'Of course, 0 Messenger of Allah!"

He said,

"To perfect ablution even in trying conditions, to go towards mosques very often and to wait for the next salah after offering one. This is ribat (guarding the frontiers of Islamic lands)."

[Bukhari 7733, Muslim 251, Nasai 90]

Those who neglect and belittle the acts of perfecting one's Ibadaat and think that only political activitism is the 'be all and end all' of Islam should read the Quran and books of Hadeeth properly.

Every thing has it's place in the Deen and a strong spiritual relationship between an individual and his Lord is central to the Islamic world view. All other injunctions of Islam are meant to protect and improve this relationship.

Also we should not forget that the success in the other areas of the Deen depends on perfecting this spiritual core. The entire Seerah and the lives of the Sahaba and the Salaf bear ample testimony to this.

On the authority of Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

Allah said:

"Truly of those devoted to Me the one I most favour is a believer who is of meagre means and much given to prayer, who has been particular in the worship of his Lord and has obeyed Him inwardly, who was obscure among people and not pointed out, and whose sustenance was just sufficient to provide for him yet he bore this patiently.

Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) rapped his hand and said: Death will have come early to him, his mourners will have been few, his estate scant."

It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ibn Majah). Its chain of authorities is sound.

Notes:

So the 'most favored status' is given by Allah to a poor, ordinary Muslim who is unknown among people but who bears poverty with patience and excessively prays and worships Allah (with out showing off to others) and obeys His commands carefully.

He also dies early which means that he achieves this spiritual status and habit of devotion and worship while he is still young. He also has fewer family and friends to mourn his death.

Friday, April 29, 2016

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:

Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says:

"The first of his actions for which a servant of Allah will be held accountable on the Day of Resurrection will be his prayers. If they are in order, then he will have prospered and succeeded: and if they are wanting, then he will have failed and lost.

If there is something defective in his obligatory (Fardh) prayers, the Lord (glorified and exalted be He) will say: See if My servant has any supererogatory (Nafil) prayers with which may be completed that which was defective in his obligatory prayers. Then the rest of his actions will be judged in like fashion."

It was related by at-Tirmidhi (also by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Ahmad).

Saturday, April 23, 2016

“Do not think about a word that exits from a Muslim’s mouth except that you interpret it in the best manner.” [Ameelah of Al-Muhaamilee, p.395]

Muhammad Ibn Sireen رحمه الله said:

“If something reaches you about your brother, then search for an excuse for him. If you do not find an excuse for him, then make an excuse for him.” [Al-Jaami’ Li Shu’ab Al-Eemaan, 14/441]

Ja’far Ibn Muhammad رحمه الله said:

“If something that you dislike reaches you about your brother then search for one excuse for him up to seventy excuses. If it hits the mark, (then good). If not, then say, ‘Perhaps he has an excuse that I am not aware of.‘ ” [Al-Jaami’ Li Shu’ab Al-Eemaan, 14/442]

Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali رحمه الله

said: "The hypocrite looks for faults; the believer looks for excuses."

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

You should first consider the stipulations of companionship and friendship so that you will establish the relationship of brotherhood only with those who are fit for brotherhood & friendship.

The Messenger of God ﺻﻠﯽ الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ ﻋﻠﯿﮧ ﻭﺍٓﻟﮧ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ said:

“A man is upon the religion of his best friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.” (Sunan Abu Dawud 4833-Sahih)

1) Intelligence

Sayyidina Ali رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه said:

Do not be in the company of an ignorant friend; Beware of him & let him beware of you.

How often an ignorant man has brought destruction to a forbearing man who has befriended him.

2) Good Character

Do not be the companion of a man whose character is bad. He is one who is unable to control himself when he is angry and is excited when he desires something.

3) Righteousness

Do not be the companion of a wicked man (Fasiq) who persists in major sin. This is because he who fears God does not persist in major sin, and he who does not fear God may cause you mischief.

Allah SWT commanded His Prophet (pbuh):

“Do not follow him whose mind We have caused to be neglectful of remembrance of Us and who follows his passions, and whose case exceeds all bounds.” (18:28)

Beware, then of association with a wicked man, because the constant sight of wickedness and sin will remove the dislike of sin from your mind & will create the feeling that sin is something light. The sinfulness of backbiting has become light to man’s mind for this reason and not for the reason that mind cannot understand it. If people see that a Muslim jurist is wearing a gold ring or a silkcloth, they strongly oppose it because they rarely see this, whereas they do not oppose backbiting even though it is a more serious sin, because they always see this.

4) Absence of greed

Companionship of a man greedy for the world is deadly poison, for human nature is such that the nature of one man tends to resemble that of another and to imitate it; indeed, a man’s nature steals the qualities of another man’s nature in such a way that he is not aware of it. Therefore, association with a greedy man will increase your greed, and association with the ascetics will increase your asceticism.

5) Truthfulness

Do not be the companion of a liar, for he is like a mirage: he will show that which is far as near to you and that which is near as far from you.”

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

"...Those who believe are overflowing in their love for Allah..."(Quran, 2:165)

Love for Allah is the key to success that pushes the person toward righteousness. Thus obedience to Allah not only becomes easy but a delight.

When love enters the heart a person no longer views worship and obedience to Allah as an obligation, but rather as a gift. Therefore that person derives tremendous pleasure from worship and obedience.

As a result one finds it easy to wake in the night without the need for an alarm clock, for he cherishes each opportunity to worship and remember Allah. The internal clock in the heart becomes sufficient as love wakes him and keeps him awake for long periods of the night.

"Their limbs do forsake their beds of sleep the while they call on their Lord in fear and hope" [Quran, 32:16]

Madly in love with Allah, such people remain restless throughout the night and greet the dawn with longing faces.

A formal relation or a legal tie can never replace true love; for mere form or legality leaves loopholes and finds backdoors, knows of willful interpretations and legal hair-splittings, and gets bored and grows weary.

True love, on the other hand, knows no misconstruing, no exhaustion, no boredom, for it is the wound as well as the balm, the path as well as the destination. A Persian poet says:

Lovers know not the journey's exhaustion: Love itself is the path, love the destination!

Our Nights Vs Sahaba's Nights:

If one were to have walked through the streets of Madinah in the last portion of the night during the time of the Companions, he would have discovered an entire city alive and illuminated with the blessings of worship. Whether in loud or soft voices, every house would be buzzing with the recital of the Holy Quran like honeybees around their hive.Unfortunately nowadays the situation is very different. Walking during the same portion of the night through any Muslim city, the same person would encounter only the deathly silence of a graveyard. Sadly, the blessings and glory of late night worship are no longer seen, as people remain sound asleep in their warm beds.

The following Dua is reported from the Holy Prophet ﺻﻠﯽ الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ ﻋﻠﯿﮧ ﻭﺍٓﻟﮧ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ asking Allah for His love and joy of worship that highlights the link between them:

"O Allah! Make my love for You the most beloved thing to me, and my fear for You the most fearful thing to me, and remove from me all worldly needs and wants by instilling a passion for meeting You, and when You have given the people of the world the pleasures of their world, make the coolness of my eyes (pleasure) in worshipping You." (Kanzul ‘Ummal: On the authority of Abi Malik)

“We used to say that those amongst us with the most sins are those who spend their time talking about the sins of others.”

Imam Sufyaan ath-Thawri رحمه الله said:

“Keep yourself busy in remembering your faults, so that you have no time left to remember the faults of others.”

Ibn Taimiyah said:

“Some people have the disease of criticizing all the time. They forget the good about others and only mention their faults. They are like flies that avoid the good and pure places and land on the bad and wounds. This is because of the evil within the self and the spoiled nature.”

Abu Hatim said:

“Probing and seeking the faults of others is from the branches of hypocrisy just like thinking good of others is from the branches of faith. The intelligent one always has a good opinion of his brothers, and keeps his grief and sadness to himself. As for the ignorant one, he has evil opinion of his brothers and does not think about his crimes and distress.” [Siyar A’lam an-Nubala]

Imam Ash-Shafi’e رحمه الله said:

”Let not your tongue mention the shame of another, for you yourself are covered in shame, and all men have tongues. If your eye falls upon the sin of your brother, shield them and say ‘O my eye all men have eyes‘.”

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (RA), that the Prophet ﺻﻠﯽ الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ ﻋﻠﯿﮧ ﻭﺍٓﻟﮧ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ said: Whoever shields [or hides the misdeeds of] a Muslim, Allah will shield him in this world and the Hereafter."

[Sahih Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah & Musnad Ahmad]

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "He who sees something which should be kept hidden and conceals it will be like the one who has brought to life a girl buried alive (a pre-Islamic practice). - Sunan of Abu-Dawud, Hadith 2292

Narrated Abu Barzah al-Aslami رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه : The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: O community of people who believed by their tongue and belief did not enter their hearts, do not back-bite Muslims, and do not search for their faults, for if anyone searches for their faults, Allah will search for his fault, and if Allah searches for the fault of anyone, He disgraces him in his own house. -Sunan of Abu Dawud, Number 2283 (Tirmidhi also reported a similar Hadith)

Ibn 'Abbas رضي الله ﺗﻌﺎﻟﯽٰ عنه said on the verse of the Qur'an, "Nor defame one another" (49:11), "Do not spend your time finding fault with one another." (Imam Bukhari's Book of Manners #330)

Imam Ibn Al-Mubarak رحمه الله said:

“Whenever a man would see something from his brother that he dislikes, he would give him orders in private and forbid him in private. So, he would be rewarded for screening his brother and also rewarded for forbidding evil. As for today, whenever a man sees what he dislikes, he angers his brother and unveils his screen.” [Raudatul ‘Uqala, p. 197]

We should not be like the kuffar who dig up faults of their opponents.

We should not behave like the tabloid reporters!

This type of behaviour is very detrimental to the Muslim unity yet it is very rife-because we hate one another.-because we have different aqeeda or belong to different Jamaat.

-we want to show that we are better than others.

Exceptions:

If the act committed was against the rights of a person, or poses a threat or harm to others or was committed openly with no shame, then there is no concealment and the action should be dealt with appropriately.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

The Islamic Hadith narrations emphasize positive thinking. Even though many Muslims today choose to think negatively about the world and its inhabitants, Islam actually encourages the opposite. Reflect on these five Hadiths and begin your journey of positive change now:

Hadith #1: Think Win/Win

Amazing is the affair of the believer. Definitely, all of his life is good and this is not for anybody except the believer. If something of good happens to him, he is grateful and that is good for him. If something harmful befalls him, he is patient and that is good for him. (Saheeh Muslim #2999)

This Hadith teaches us to approach all of life positively. The good times are opportunities for gratitude, and the difficult times are tests of patience. Both situations are good for us, so no matter what happens in our lives, there is always a way to benefit from it.

Hadith #2: Think Positive About Allah

I am as My servant thinks of Me. I am with him when he remembers Me. If he mentions Me within himself, I mention him within Myself. If he mentions Me in an assembly, I mention him in a better assembly. If he comes near to Me a handspan, I come near to him the distance of a cubit. If he comes near to Me the distance of a cubit, I come near to him the distance of two outspread arms. If he comes to Me walking, I come to him running. (Sahih Al-Bukhari #6856 and Sahih Muslim #4832)

In this important Hadith Al-Qudsi, Allah Himself informs us of the importance of positive thinking about Him. We must maintain good thoughts about our Creator and not allow the devil to place evil thoughts in our minds. The more positively we think about Allah, the more benefits we will gain from this in this world and the next.

Hadith #3: Avoid negative thoughts

Beware of suspicion, as suspicion is the falsest talk, and do not spy upon each other, and do not listen to the evil talk of the people about others’ affairs, and do not have enmity with one another, but be brothers. And none should ask for the hand of a girl who is already engaged to his (Muslim) brother, but one should wait till the first suitor marries her or leaves her. (Saheeh Bukhari #5970)

Negative thinking about our fellow Muslims is a root cause of enmity, jealousy, and disunity. This Hadith prohibits all causes of negative thinking, whether it be unfounded suspicion, backbiting, or spying. All these sins must be avoided.

Hadith #4: Make things easy

“Make things easy for the people and do not make things difficult for them.” (Saheeh Bukhari #6125)

This simple short advice was aimed primarily at those doing Dawah and teaching Islam. The principle forms one of the primary foundations of Shariah Law i.e. the principle of ease. There are multiple narrations that emphasize this same point. Islam was meant to make life easier for people. Make sure the way you call and guide people to Islam emphasizes the positives and attracts people towards the beauty of Islam.

Hadith #5: Positive Thinking at time of death

Whoever loves the meeting with Allah, Allah too, loves the meeting with him; and whoever hates the meeting with Allah, Allah too, hates the meeting with him. (Saheeh Bukhari #6508)

Positive thinking is so important in Islam, that it is emphasized at the time of death. Muslims should not only think good about their Creator, they should think best of Him. This is especially important at the time of death, that believers be encouraged to focus on Allah’s Mercy and Forgiveness. In doing so, they leave this world in a positive state of mind. Not only should we live positive lives, but we should die in a positive state of mind too.

Friday, January 22, 2016

‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab said (advising Sa’d Ibn Abee Waqqaas, who was the leader of an army):

“I urge you and the troops who are with you to fear Allah in all circumstances, for fear of Allah is the best means of preparation to face the enemy and the best plan at times of war. I command you and those who are with you to be more cautious of sin than of your enemy, for the sins of an army are more alarming for them than their enemy. And the Muslims are only granted divine help because of their enemy’s disobedience towards Allah.”

[Al-Faarooq ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, by Muhammad Rasheed Rida, p.119]

This can equally apply to other areas of life and not just for fighters.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Muraqabah is knowing that Allah is watching over us. Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, says, "And know that Allah knows what is in your minds, so fear Him." [2:235] "And Allah is Ever a Watcher over all things." [33:52] "And He is with you wherever you may be." [57:4] There are many other similar verses stating the same concept.

In the hadith of Jibreel, when he asked the Prophet (s) about ihsan (goodness and excellence), the Prophet (s) replied, "Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, but since we do not see Him we should know that He sees us at all times." (Bukhari and Muslim) The meaning of this hadith is the definition of muraqabah. Namely, the endurance of the servant's knowledge and his conviction and certainty that Allah is watching over his internal and external affairs. To have this knowledge and certainty at all times is called muraqabah. It is the fruit of the servant's knowledge that Allah is his Watcher, Over-seeing him, Hearing his utterances, and Observing all of his deeds at all times.Al-Junaid said:

The one firm in muraqabah fears the waste of even a moment for other than his Lord." Dhun-Nun said: "The sign of muraqabah is to favor what Allah has sent down (of the revelation), to glorify what Allah has glorified, and to despise what Allah has despised.

Ibrahim Al-Khawass said:

Muraqabah is the sincerity of both the internal and external to Allah.

It has been said that"

The best that man may cling to on this road to Allah is muhasabah(reckoning of the self), muraqabah, and governing his conduct with knowledge.

The people of true knowledge have unanimously agreed that having muraqabah for Allah in one's hidden thoughts is a means for it to manifest in the deeds and the behavior externally. So, whoever has muraqabah for Allah in secret and internally, Allah will preserve him in his actions and behavior, both internally and externally.One of the finest definitions for muraqabah is the following: muraqabah of Allah is being on the way to Him at all times with over-whelming glorification, inciting nearness and urging joy. The overwhelming glorification is to have the heart filled with glorification of Allah. Such a state makes the servant unconcerned with glorifying others or paying attention to others beside Allah. A servant should always have this state, especially when he is remembering Allah. To be with Allah provides one with intimacy and love. If these are not associated with glorification, they may take one outside of the limits of servitude. Any love that is not associated with glorification of the Beloved One is a reason to distance him away from the Beloved and lose His respect.The overwhelming glorification includes five components: walking towards Allah, constantly walking towards Him, presence within the heart for Him, glorification of Him, and being overwhelmed by His glorification to be concerned with others. The inciting nearness is the closeness to Allah that incites the servant to have these five components. This closeness makes him glorify Allah in a manner that he pays no attention to himself or others. The closer the servant becomes to Allah, the more he glorifies Him and the less mindful he will be for others. The urging joy is happiness and glorification. It is the delight one finds in this nearness. There is nothing in this world comparable in any way to the joy and happiness of the heart and the delight of the eye with Allah and His closeness. This is one of the states in Paradise. A knowledgeable person said,

There are times when I would say that if the people of Paradise can be in a state like this, they are indeed living a good life.

This joy, no doubt, urges him to be constant in walking to Allah and doing his best to seek Allah's Pleasure. If one didn't achieve this joy or even a portion of it, then one should doubt their faith and deeds. Faith has grace and sweetness. If one has not tasted it, then one should go back and achieve the true faith and its sweetness.The Prophet (s) mentioned the sweetness of faith in many ahadith, including:

...tasted the taste of faith, those who take Allah as their Lord, Islam as their religion and Muhammad as a Messenger. (Muslim and Ahmad)

He also said:

Whoever possesses the following three qualities attains the sweetness of faith: To have Allah and His Messenger dearer to him than anything else, to love a person only for the sake of Allah, and to hate to return to kufr after Allah has rescued him from it like he hates to be thrown into fire." (Bukhari and Muslim)

I heard Sheikhul-Islam saying:

If you don't find sweetness and joy in the deed you perform, then doubt its sincerity, for Allah is Shakur (Most Appreciative and Rewarding).

He meant that Allah will certainly reward His servant for his deeds in this world as long as the servant is delighted and happy with his deeds. But if he doesn't find the delight and the joy in his heart, then his deed is imperfect, defective.This imperfection and defectiveness is the reward of what the servant receives for his deeds. Deeds have consequences and effects that return to the servant that performed them, affecting his life and all of his affairs. Prayer (salah), for example, prevents the servant from unlawful and evil deeds. It also refines his morals and brings him up in the best manner that Allah loves.Fasting (Siyam) strengthens his will and enlightens self-reproach and insight, so the person may see the straight path and become among the righteous. Such are all the good and righteous deeds, they have a reward that affords prosperity in all of man's affairs. As a result, family life and the society become joyful and prosperous. The evil deeds have their consequences as well. Allah said, "For those who have done good is best (reward)." [10:26] and "The evil was the end of those who did evil."[30:10]The opposition in people is of three kinds. Only those that Allah protects are free from these. The first kind is the opposition to His Names and Attributes by presenting false and unclear matters. These falsities are negated because of what Allah and His Messenger have ascribed for Him. These people have ascribed to Allah what He negated for Himself. By doing so, they became loyal to His enemies and enemies to His Allies. They changed the words from the correct status and have abandoned, as a result, a great part of what was sent to them.They are those that have divided their religion into differing sects with each group rejoicing in its belief. The only thing that protects from this is the pure submission to the wahy (Divine revelation). When the heart submits to the wahy (revelation), it will witness its soundness, realize intellectually and in the light of fitrah (sound nature) that it is the truth. Such a submissive person submits by way of hearing, the mind, and the natural disposition of humankind - fitrah. This is the most perfect faith.The second type of person is the one who is in opposition to His Message and Command. These people can vary slightly and can be further categorized. Some may oppose with their opinions and analogies. They make lawful what Allah has made unlawful, and make unlawful what Allah has made lawful. They void what Allah has made obligatory and make obligatory what Allah has voided. Another type amongst these people are those that oppose the facts of faith and the Message with their visions, personal experiences, and false devilish inspirations. These compose a religion that Allah has not allowed, invalidate the religion that Allah sent to His Messenger, and oppose the facts of faith using the devil's tricks. These people have religions to worship other than Allah's religion and place these before Allah's religion. Because of their analogies, opinions and personal experiences, the entire world could have been ruined and the pillars of the religion destroyed. But Allah has preserved this religion and promised to protect those that will preserve and protect it from the plots of these plotters.Another group of those in opposition are those that oppose the Law of Allah with their unjust rules. They put their rules before the rules of Allah and His Messenger (s). Thus they suspend Allah's Law, justice and His hudood (legislated punishments).The third type of opposition is of those who oppose Allah's actions, decrees and ordinances. This opposition comes primarily from ignorant people. It has many forms, some are clear and some are not. This kind of opposition exists within many souls. If we were to contemplate our utterances, actions and desires, we would see this clearly. Most of us have some kind of opposition to Allah's decree and His portioning of livelihood.The ones that are free of this type of opposition are those that know Allah with a true knowledge and accept Him with complete satisfaction.-From: The Steps of the Followers (Madaarij as Saalikeen), by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya